Peak TV has gone global. Much like the Hollywood movie studios, streaming giants are increasingly focused on creating global content that speaks to a wide array of audiences. India, home to the second-largest population in the world, is a clear target for companies like Netflix and Amazon who are investing significant money into developing content specifically geared toward the South Asian audience.

Just earlier this year, Netflix dropped its first original Indian drama, Sacred Games, to wide acclaim. The crime thriller was ostensibly a crossover hit with audiences around the world; 2 out of 3 viewers were reported to have watched the series outside of India, proving interest in the subcontinent’s robust mafia genre. Now, Amazon is throwing its hat into the ring with the arrival of their own Indian gangster series, Mirzapur.

Set in the small village of the same name in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh, Mirzapur focuses on a trigger-happy crime family and the lawyer who is working to bring them down. Interspersed between the menacing showdowns and dramatized violence is a story about family and the lengths that people go to in order to protect those they love. The Amazon Prime original series connects various characters and threads, and pushes into the heart of what makes a good show worthwhile: authentic relationships.

What sets Mirzapur apart from the likes of Sacred Games is this specific focus on family. One of my biggest critiques of the Saif Ali Khan-led Netflix drama was the disconnect between who the characters were and why they were trying to solve the mystery they were thrust into. In Mirzapur, the characters’ intentions are laid out clearly from the get-go while still leaving a little room for nuance — one of my favorite pieces of development in the pilot is the character Guddu, who has been written in a way that could show him fighting for either side. It feels like there are actual stakes on a personal level, in a way that helps audiences connect to the unfolding legal battle and the ensuing overt violence.

For most, Indian entertainment can be summed up by “Bollywood” — a catchall phrase for the films released out of the subcontinent. And for many, Bollywood typically connotes happy-go-lucky musicals. It’s a fair statement, except that Bollywood is so much more than just the song-and-dance fairytale love stories that it has become famous for.

A large swath of Bollywood films exist to explore the demons of a corrupt government, the immoral conduct of gun-wielding gangsters, and the dark underbelly of Indian society. Films like Sholay, Don, Gangs of Wasseypur, Khakee and Omkara (to name only a few) subscribe to at least one of these notions, and have long been a staple in Hindi cinema.

But what is interesting to me is that this specific genre seems to be the only one that is capable of making the jump from film to TV, aided by investors like Netflix and Amazon. In a move to appeal to all audiences, it seems like Indian creators (and their American producers) are shedding the shaggy jacket of Bollywood’s filmi connotation, which leads me to one question: why is violence what we’re focusing on?

For that, we can circle back to where we began: Peak TV. Prestige television is often marked by darker tones, senseless violence, and antiheroes (mostly male). HBO struck gold with The Sopranos, AMC hit a double-whammy with Breaking Bad and Mad Men, and traditional networks and streaming companies alike continue to churn out content that check these boxes in the hunt for the next big thing. When taking a chance on foreign-language content, it seems that a foolproof ingredient for success involves gutsy and gritty storytelling set in chaotic and anarchist environments.

All of this isn’t to knock Mirzapur — in fact, I found its entry to be a return to the more humanized, classic gangster Bollywood movies I grew up watching with my dad. But I’m fatigued by the constant backstabbing and careless killing, and I have to wonder… is this all India has to offer?

I know the answer is “no.” I’m just waiting for the executives bankrolling these new streaming originals to realize this, too.

Radhika Menon (@menonrad) is a TV-obsessed writer living in New York City. Her work has appeared on The TV Addict, Brown Girl Magazine, Breadcrumbs Mag and Syndicated Magazine. At any given moment, she can ruminate at length over Friday Night Lights, the University of Michigan, and the perfect slice of pizza. You may call her Rad.